Loki Odinson (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shiftedshape) wrote2000-07-05 05:54 pm
shiftedshape) wrote2000-07-05 05:54 pm
OOC: The Last Voyages App
User Name/Nick: Kelsey
User DW:
eiseE-mail: rpdina(at)gmail(dot)com
Other Characters: None!
Character Name: Loki
Series: Thor/MCU
Age: Logically at least old enough to inspire Norse myths (roughly 800?) but canon hasn't really been clear about that.
From When?: Thanos' killing him in Infinity War.
Inmate/Warden: Inmate. While canon never makes it clear how much of it is madness, magical corruption, or simple manipulation, Loki has done horrible things. He's always been a little extreme-- he did stab his brother when he was eight as a joke --but ultimately his worst crimes stem from some basic, not impossible to overcome issues.
Both Loki and Thor were told from a young age that they were born to be kings, but it was quickly obvious that Loki had no actual chance of being chosen as successor. While he does eventually discover that what Odin apparently meant is that he is actually heir to the throne of Jotunheim, the fact of the matter is he was raised thinking that no matter how hard he tried, nor how obviously flawed a leader Thor would be, he had no actual chance of being king. This lack of honesty and lack of reward for his good qualities drove him further and further from honesty and goodness himself.
It is these feelings of inadequacy and this desire for glory and recognition that lead Loki down his dark path. From there, he becomes obsessed with proving himself, to the point of convincing himself he is superior to other races and should be ruling over them. That said, it is also these same desires that lead him to pull off his most heroic moments in Ragnarok-- bringing the ship to save the Asgardian civilians and risking his life to trigger Ragnarok --and Infinity War-- distracting and attempting to kill Thanos.
A warden could at the very least redirect him into seeking positive attention, if not convince him that by using his strengths to the benefit of others would help him to feel the worthiness he's always thought he lacked.
Item: N/A
Arrival: Loki's very invested in his own self-preservation, so although he confronted Thanos with the knowledge that he would very likely die, he's more than okay with taking advantage of any opportunity to Not Die that he can get.
Abilities/Powers:
-Insubstantial illusions, usually doubles of himself. It is unclear how long he can maintain them, but in canon they are completely convincing until touched. It appears he's capable of projecting at least images of himself over quite long distances. On the barge, his reach will be limited and less able to break through any defenses/barriers set up by others. Mod Additions: He can keep the clothes-changey fashion illusions and doubles of himself, but he can only create them in a room where he is physically present, and they are only convincing visually (ie anyone with superhearing or smell or whatever could tell.) He will also only be capable of creating a limited number of doubles (1-3) at one time.
-Skilled fighting hand to hand, with spears and staves, and with knives (including throwing them). On the barge, he won't be any more skilled at fighting than would be possible for a human being. He'll be a decent match against a skilled human but he definitely can be put down if need be.
-Storing and retrieving small objects with magic (presumably utilizing pocket dimensions). On the barge, the number and size of things he'll be able to magically pocket will be significantly reduced. Mod Additions: He can do this for flair with any object that would fit in a regular pocket, with an upper limit of 3-5 objects.
-Removed by Mods:
-Magic outfit changing. The barge will not hinder his fashion choices.
-Change his
-Super strength and durability. On the barge, getting slammed into the ground by a giant green rage monster would kill him, and he won't be lifting grown men up by their necks.
-Some kind of telekinetic magic. On the barge, he won't be able to do much more than illustrated in the gif without expending significant energy. Mod Addition: He won't be able to do anything with telekinesis than he wouldn't be able to do by hand.
-Removed by mods:
-Removed by mods:
Personality: Loki may be the God of Lies and Mischief, but there's more to him than that. It's true that he enjoys outwitting people and getting the drop on them, but he isn't a pathological liar or a sadist. Growing up with Thor, Loki had no choice but to find the strengths he did have in order to try and keep up with someone gifted with so much power and privilege, and sometimes that meant getting his hands dirty. Of course, as he grew older his hands grew increasingly dirty, but in his mind this has always been a means to an end. Sure, he likes to gloat, but honestly a lot of that is theatrics. Yes, he manipulates people to get what he wants, but what he wants isn't always completely selfish.
...That said, Loki's moral compass has definitely grown rather skewed and confused, and the events we see him experience across the movies have done a lot to convince him that he is right about being alone and therefore right to be selfish. This has started to change slightly as of the end of Ragnarok, but ultimately Loki has been pretty thoroughly convinced of his place in the universe. "If they see me as a monster, then why not become one? Or at the very least, why not use that to my advantage, if they're going to leave me alone anyway?" While Thor's suggestion that he could be more than just Lies and Mischief hits home and he makes attempts in the brief time after that conversation, the fact is that his instincts are still more about taking care of himself and those few he cares about (mainly Thor as of the time of his death) than anything else. Those instincts lead him to justify pretty awful things to himself as necessary means to an end, and at times his actual goals aren't very clear beyond "winning" some game that only he knows he's playing.
A bit of an aside: Some people interpret his conversation with Natasha as indicating he is sexually predatory and/or abusive. For one, I have no interest in playing a character like that. For another, I think it aligns more with his traits that this was another manipulation or theatrical cruelty in an attempt to get a rise out of her and to continue projecting the image he's cultivating as a conqueror. I personally believe that while he may attempt to seduce someone to get what he wants, he would never do something to actually sexually violate someone and never has. Violence against beings he views as lesser or his enemies is something he sees as a necessary part of ruling and building an empire, and even that is something he has largely done during psychotic breaks or under mind control. True sexual violence is not a part of his villain vocabulary and is, quite frankly, beneath him.
Which, on a lighter note, brings us to another important facet of Loki's personality: he is a prince. Much of his ability to perform and charm others has grown from the requirements of royal manners, particularly as he was often forced to make up for Thor's rudeness. It also informed his fastidiousness and forethought. Loki was more than likely groomed to be Thor's advisor and therefore filled in the gaps that Thor left. Loki can be diplomatic; Loki can negotiate; Loki can be strategic-- all things Thor would struggle to do on his own, at least when he was originally going to be crowned king. Loki's natural competitive drive pushed him to excel in all these things less because he wanted to fulfill this role imposed on him, and more because he saw it as his main avenue for at least becoming Thor's equal. He would never have Thor's strength or the favoritism Thor was shown, but he could at least be more clever, more quick, and more informed.
Lastly, for all that Loki is a Big Bad Villain with a Dark Sad Backstory, by his final appearance in Infinity War he demonstrates plenty of other traits. He has a sense of humor, although it sometimes involves stabbing people, so it may seem like a far crueler sense of humor to less hardy beings. He loves the spotlight if he chooses when it is turned on him. He can navigate the upper echelons of society and command the attention of a room (without trapping said room in a ring of illusory doubles and then yelling at them). He is proud, but is also constantly bouncing back from humiliation just as (seemingly) arrogant as the first time. And, perhaps most importantly, when he was actually given the throne of Asgard he grew bored. He enjoys the excitement and attention of competition far more than what he gets when he actually wins. And given the glimpses of self-hatred we see from him, there is a decent chance he sabotages himself in order to keep up the narrative that he doesn't win. Because the underdog is the better story, right? And the underdog gets to keep playing the game.
Barge Reactions: The barge isn't going to be a huge culture shock, despite his initial swords-and-sorcery appearance. Loki comes from a world where magic is essentially very advanced science and technology, and has traveled across his universe more than most in his canon has. He won't be thrown by different kinds of creatures and ways of life, really.
That said, he will probably have a harder time getting along with people who are less...let's say "refined". He's a spoiled prince who wanted even more than his original privilege gave him, so he really has very little idea of what people in lower classes think like or do. While he knows he's not really better than anyone here (and deep down believes he's probably worse than most), it will take a while before he's able to relax enough to not be bothered by bad manners and being treated "just like anyone else". He'll likely lash out quite a bit before he settles in, and may attempt to ignore or avoid the people he finds most personally irritating. (But as a player, I will do my best to keep giving openings so his defenses can get broken down. :>)
As for floods and breaches, he'll probably range from fascinated by whatever's happening to absolutely humiliated depending on how undignified he is forced to be by the circumstances. He's a curious person; it's part of why he's gotten into trouble so much. So chances are, even events that start out with him somewhat enjoying himself will end with him pouting about looking silly in public. Again, this will likely relax as time goes on.
Path to Redemption: I think there are a few ways, and I'm of course open to figuring something out as time goes on. These are just the few that come to mind, and they aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.
1) Be More. Thor essentially set a challenge for Loki to overcome when he suggested Loki could be more than just the God of Mischief. And Loki does love winning. Figuring out a way for him to be something other than a trickster would almost certainly mean finding ways that his talents could be used for good-- even if the motivation is still about making himself the center of attention.
2) Not a Monster. The thing that caused Loki's initial step into true villainy was discovering that not only had he not been told about his true identity, he had been raised to hate who he was. Suddenly, his inability to be seen as anywhere near equal to Thor made sense. And yet, he clearly has strengths that aren't inherently evil, feelings that aren't hatred, and desires beyond destruction.
3) Not a God. Paradoxically, Loki still sees himself as superior to most people due to his upbringing and talents. He knows he's one of the most powerful sorcerers in his universe, and he knows he is far stronger and longer-lived than other races. While he knows he isn't infallible, he still, to an extent, sees himself as inherently better-- even if it's simply due to his having been around a whole lot longer. But he doesn't know everything and he hasn't seen everything. There's plenty of humbling left to do.
4) Not Alone. Loki may have gone down an entirely different path if he had truly felt he was worthy the way Thor was outright stated to be. Instead, he was a spare son shuffled to the side without a clear path. Discovering his true parentage confirmed what he'd always suspected-- he was too different, too unique, and would have to stand alone, even if he did end up standing above everyone else. But his exile is largely self-imposed, and perhaps with stronger connections with others he might put effort forth for people other than Thor.
Deal: N/A
History: Link
Sample Journal Entry:
[Loki...doesn't exactly smile at the camera, but he isn't actively making an effort to look intimidating or annoyed, so it's something. He clears his throat before he begins, an attempt at nonchalance that does more to indicate his discomfort with sending this message out than anything else.]
Good afternoon. I've recently arrived and am...attempting to acquaint myself with this place. It is certainly one of the nicer prisons I've visited, although some of the "amenities" aren't exactly my cup of tea.
[What the Hel is bowling and why is there so much space dedicated to it?]
But I will say the library is surprisingly well-kept. And I thought it might give me an opportunity to better understand the worlds my fellow travelers come from, if we're going to be spending so much time together. So, I would like to request recommendations. What titles from your worlds should I add to my reading list?
[All the better to avoid talking to anyone. At least not before he knows what he's dealing with.]
I'm curious to see what you come up with. [With that, he gives a nod and ends the feed.]
Sample RP:
It's so incredibly simple that he just can't wrap his head around it. He did research, of course, and he understands the rules. But nothing about it sounds all that satisfying. Not that Loki is terribly surprised. He's never been very interested in sport to begin with, and knows that once he can visit the casino he'll have a much better time there. But for now, he's limited to the lower decks, and while "wallowing in boredom" sounds easier and perhaps more fulfilling than "making the most of it", he's done just about all the wallowing he can for the day. And it would be a shame to let research go to waste.
So Loki is going to try bowling. And once he confirms it is just as tedious and pointless as he suspected, he'll leave and be able to say that no, he did try, and it was a waste of time. And he's going to do it when no one is around to see it because admitting he's tried and being seen trying are two very different things.
Deliberately ignoring the (absolutely disgusting) shoe exchange, he marches over and searches for a ball. Despite this largely being an attempt to kill time, Loki's determined to get this over with as quickly as possible. If he's caught-- well, he won't be caught. Being caught doing this would be unacceptable.
Still, he's done enough research and has enough combat experience to know the value in choosing the right weapon for the job, so he does take a minute or two to test different weights. He lands on a garish pink one that just increases his desire to never be seen doing this, and just to be safe he sends a flash of seidr over it, turning the ball a much more agreeable shade of green.
Now all he has to do is...throw it. And try to knock the pins down. Sort of like throwing a knife, except the victim gets right back up again. Pointless.
After several gutterballs-- he's apparently too weak to redirect the damn thing magically, which is just fantastic --he's grown more certain that this is indeed pointless. But no closer to leaving anytime soon. Godsdamnit. He really should have known better.
Special Notes:
